This Pinch of Yum inspired Banh Mi bowl was too good not to share!  Asian food is definitely one of my favorite types of food to cook AND eat so I am always down for trying something Asian inspired. For the most part, I make a lot of Thai and teriyaki dishes, but I haven’t tried anything Vietnamese! I’m glad I did because it came out so delicious… definitely more than just a “pinch of yum!” This was the first for Vietnamese, but I am sure it won’t be the last! 🙂

I didn’t have any Lemongrass paste or fish paste, which is what is called for in her recipe. Instead, I substituted and made my own Lemon flavored soy sauce and I also used the leftover sauce for my brussel sprouts. Here’s her original recipe if you’re interested in making hers too: http://pinchofyum.com/banh-mi-bowls

I will warn you in advance that this is a little bit more involved for a recipe, but you could possibly prepare some ingredients ahead to save yourself some time (if you want to). For example, if the quinoa was pre-made, the carrots had been pickled the day before, and the veggies had been pre-chopped, then making this would be a breeze!

Ingredients:

Pickled Carrots:

• Spiralize 4-6 carrots
• 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp salt

Banh Mi Pork Meatballs:

• 1 lb Ground Pork
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1/2 small onion chopped
• 1 tbsp chili paste
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp Lemon Soy Sauce (see below)

Lemon Soy Sauce: 

• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp siracha
• 1 tsp maple syrup
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tsp coconut oil

Asian Lemon Soy sauce roasted Brussel Sprouts:

• Half package of brussel sprouts halved
• Olive oil
• Rest of lemon soy sauce

Additional + Toppings:

• Cooked Quinoa
• Mini cucumbers
• Radishes
• Jalapeno
• Cilantro
• Siracha “Mayo” – Plain greek yogurt, water, and siracha (mix to your desired taste and consistency)

Directions:

1. Pickled Carrots: Combine all pickled carrots ingredients (rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, and salt) in a jar and then add carrots. Let carrots marinate in fridge while you prepare the rest.
2. Banh Mi Meatballs: Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix. Make into meatballs and let meatballs sit in fridge for 10-20 minutes to take shape. Heat oil on pan and cook meatballs until they are cooked through. (In the meantime, I cooked my quinoa and brussel sprouts).
3. Brussel sprouts: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss brussel sprouts in olive oil and bake for 20 minutes. Then mix with the left over lemon soy sauce and broil for a few minutes until desired crispiness.
4. Plate! I plated starting with my quinoa and adding the pickled carrots, meatballs, and all my veggies and toppings.